Redemption of a Tiger

WAIT. YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?

The Daily Hat Trick--once a daily blog, true to its name--has been retired for nearly five years. In late 2017, scratched the itch to revive the blog, but never followed through. In many ways, this is like a preview of a possible reboot.

Rule 1 of blogging, for most people, is that the first phase of blogging is like talking into an empty room. With that said, I thought that I would memorialize my thoughts on Tiger Woods' remarkable comeback to the world of elite golfers.

CALL IT A COMEBACK

Tiger Woods reached the highest of highs and, after Michael Jordan's second retirement in 1998, was the biggest, most famous, most marketable, and successful athlete in the world, by any measurable, reasonable standard.

He brought himself to successive new rock bottoms, starting with his serial womanizing, the public collapse of his personal life, then his drug addiction caused by his deteriorating back, followed by the cops discovering him in a ditch in a pain-pill induced stupor, where he literally did not know where in the world he was.

The image of Woods winning the 1997 Masters is like that of a ghost. 1

NEW LOWS...ALL-TIME HIGH

Woods could not walk without assistance, let alone play golf, because of his back problems. Despite all of that...Woods could have walked away, still been the G.O.A.T. (that's "Greatest of All Time for you older readers), and never needed to earn another nickel in his lifetime.

To go through the rehabilitation, the training, and the work just to compete in the PGA...just to make the cut, let alone win the MASTERS.... Woods put himself in a huge hole that he never had to bother coming out of because of his past success and nobody would have questioned him. Instead he pulled himself out.


Sports are often a microcosm of life. Woods' self-made redemption is truly remarkable. It tells us that we can earn second chances, seemingly no matter how far we fall, if we're willing to make it happen.

It has been a long time coming. 2

1) Image from businessinsider.com.
2) Image from usatoday.com.

Retweet of the Day - May 28, 2014

Caroline Wozniacki has had, by her own words, “a hard time” lately. First the #14 WTA ranked Danish tennis star was dumped by her then-fiancée, golfer Rory McIlroy. Perhaps McIlroy saw tennis rackets being hurled at him on Thanksgiving’s eve in his future and learned from the mistakes of other golfing superstars.

Then again, in the words of golf analyst David Fehrety, “He has a face like a half-chewed caramel.” I don’t see how he expected to do any better than the athletic, endowed, and pretty 23-year-old Wozniacki. That considered, the blow must be even harder for Wozniacki.

Making matters worse, Wozniacki was bounced in the first round of the 2014 French Open by 64^th ranked Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium. Throwing more salt in the wound, McIlroy appears to be coasting along on the course. McIlroy completed an improbable comeback to win the BMW PGA Championship tour this past weekend. Clearly he’s handling the split in stride.

Today’s retweet, from Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) boils all of the above into 140 characters or less:

“Poor Caroline Wozniacki. 1) Dumped by Rory McIlroy. 2) Watches him win w/out her. 3) Booted in 1st round of French.”

McIlroy, right, dumped Wozniacki, far left. Seriously? I know championship athletes have to be confident, but that is bordering on "overconfidence".

Image from www.politiken.dk

Retweet of the Day - August 9, 2013

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez makes his return to the Bronx tonight. It is his first home game since the 2012 American League Championship Series last fall.The big talking point in sports media today: how will the crowd react to A-Rod.

Today's retweet, from danielson. (‏@dmolz), suggests that A-Rod's return could be affecting forces beyond human control. Rodriguez is a polarizing figure; I wouldn't put it past Mother Nature to throw in her two cents.

"flash flood warnings the night of arod's bronx return. coincidence, i think not."

Flash floods? Well the world is getting hotter, much like A-Rod's women. I've lost track of A-Rod's love life, but the most recent report, from back in April, is that he is dating this 24 year old graduate student from the Domincan Republic named Rebeca Yunen Finke.

Image from http://blog.zap2it.com

Comeback for the Love

Five time women's tennis Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis is reportedly testing the waters of a comeback. The Swiss star has not competed on the WTA Tour since 2007. The 32-year-old was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of  Fame. This week, she announced that she was coming out of retirement  to compete in the Carlsbad doubles competition. she is the subject of today's Chick Pic.

She's had enough maxing and relaxing, apparently. 1

I suppose her beach vacation has to be cut short. 2

3

She doesn't take herself too seriously. I can dig that! 4

I guess hanging around the house gets old. 5

Red dress approved: check! 6

Welcome back, Martina. The game wasn't the same without you! 7

1) Image from www.danviet.vn
2, 4) Image from www.zimbio.com
3) Image from www.picstopin.com
5) Image from www.sporthdwalls.com
6) Image from www.hollywoodnose.com
7) Image from www.lentachel.ru

“I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW” - Part 1

October 15, 1988 – The late, great MLB play by play commentator Jack Buck exclaimed these words following the pinch hit, walk off homerun by 1988 National League MVP and current Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. These are simple words. Anyone who understands English knows what they mean. Any English speaker knows that those words express disbelief.

These words were perfect for capturing the moment. Gibson did not have another at bat during the ’88 World Series. He wasn’t expected to appear at all due to a knee injury. Yet there he was, producing one of the iconic moments in baseball history. The crowd at Dodger Stadium was in disbelief out of joy. Fans of the A’s were in disbelief out of shock and disappointment. Remember that 1988 American League MVP Jose Canseco had hit a grand slam earlier in that game to put Oakland in the driver’s seat. Canseco’s Granny was an historical footnote instead of a great moment frozen in time.

DISBELIEF OF JOY

On Friday the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off the most improbable of postseason comebacks ever. I used the word “improbable” as opposed to “unbelievable”. Since September of 2011, the Cardinals have rallied from more than eight games back to snatch the Wild Card berth from the Atlanta Braves, followed by beating the Philadelphia Phillies, with baseball’s best record, in the deciding Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series, followed by being down to their final strike, twice, against the Texas Rangers in the 2011World Series – before a relatively unknown third baseman named David Freese in his second full MLB season pulled the Cards out of the fire. The Cardinals would go on to win in seven games. This was followed up in 2012 by repeating a similar albeit slightly less dramatic path to reach the 2012 NLDS against the Washington Nationals, who also possessed baseball’s best regular season record.

In the deciding Game 5, the Nationals jumped out to a 6-0 lead at home against the Cardinals after three innings. The Cards chipped in a run in the fourth, no big deal. They tacked on two in the fifth, time for Washington to bring in some relief of starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez. It is still a good lead, but the game is not over. Another run scored in the seventh inning; it is starting to become “déjà vu all over again” as Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said. Daniel Descalso, a relatively unknown second baseman in his second full MLB season, hit a solo homerun to cut it to one. It is written in the cards, pun intended.  

Bryce Harper homered in the 3rd inning of Game 5. The rout appeared to be on. 1

The Nationals answered with an insurance run in the eighth inning to extend their once insurmountable lead to 7-5. In enters relief pitcher Drew Storen. In enters the next footnote in the history of postseason Major League Baseball. Storen allowed a runner to second base, but followed the effort up by picking up a pair of easy outs. The Cardinals trail by two on the road and are down to their final out; things are lining up perfectly for…the Cardinals.

In steps Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina. Ball…strike…ball…strike…the Cardinals are down to their final strike in defense of their 2011 World Series championship. Molina walks. Last year’s World Series hero David Freese steps up and falls behind 1-2. Freese and the Cardinals are down to their last strike for the second time; they have the Nationals right where they want them. Freese walks. Descalso comes up to bat; the Cardinals travel staff may as well have begun booking their flight to San Francisco for the National League Championship Series. Descalso, in the spirit of Freese in 2011 drives in the tying runs before two more runs are driven in to put the Cardinals ahead for good. The Nationals went out with a whimper, 1-2-3, in the bottom of the 9^th inning.

The Cardinals pulled off the most improbable victory, though with less shock value than would have been expected in the past. Such close calls are becoming a Cardinals trademark. Nationals reliever Drew Storen became a footnote in the historic comeback, as did the Nationals MLB best regular season record in their first playoff series, ever, since moving to Washington, D.C. from Montreal (as the Expos). A great moment in the history of baseball happened that night.

Daniel Descalso assumed the role of previously unknown hero for the Cardinals in 2012. 2

Tuesday: Disbelief of Disgust

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1) Image from http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

2) Image from www.newstribune.com

Magnificent Seven

I couldn't go the entire week without sharing some original sports take. It is an unwritten rule that falling down 3 games to 1 in a best of seven series is all but a kiss of death. According to the sports statistics site, Who Wins, the historical odds of winning a best of seven series in any major professional sports league (NBA, MLB, NHL) after falling down 3-1 is only 8%. In fact, the chance of surviving to a Game 6 is only 43%. In the first round of the NBA playoffs, those odds plummet to 5% and 38% respectively.

In essence, teams like the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks, should have begun packing their bags after falling down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics, respectively. All four teams forced sixth games. The Hawks and Bulls lost in the final seconds. he Nuggets blew the Lakers' doors off and forced a Game 7, and the Grizzlies travel to Los Angeles tonight for Game 6.

This is why these men are paid to play. The gaps in talent between any two playoff teams are not that great. No series is over until it is over.

According to whowins.com there have only been 13 home teams to lose a Game 7 in the history of the NBA. The Lakers haven't lost a home Game 7 in 43 years and I don't expect it to happen this weekend. Still, this first round of the NBA playoffs has bucked some trends so far. Expect the unexpected. I can't wait to see what the conference semifinals offer!

Kobe Bryant was reportedly very sick with a stomach ailment before Game 6. Last night may feel like the sniffles compared to a possible death blow in Game 7. 1

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1) Image from www.latimes.com

Do You Believe in Magic?

This morning, I had planned on writing about the Hot Stove in Major League Baseball. There were a few noteworthy player transactions, particularly one by the Los Angeles Angels. However, it should come as no surprise that an NFL story over the weekend trumped Major League Baseball offseason news.

What would have surprised me, a month ago, is that Tim Tebow’s success on the field is the hot topic for at least the fourth time this season. Tebow is a critical part of the Broncos run for the playoffs this season. While the last minute heroics have often been dubbed as “magic” in the media, several components of the Broncos six game winning streak are anything but magic. They are simply good football and high-level, high-pressure execution.

OOPS! HE DID IT AGAIN!

Situation: The Broncos trailed the Miami Dolphins, in Miami, 15-0 in the final three minutes of regulation.

Result: Tebow throws two touchdowns, one with a two point conversion, to tie the score with 17 seconds remaining in the 4^th quarter, leading to an 18-15 win in overtime.

Situation: The Broncos trail the Oakland Raiders, in Oakland, by 10 points in the 3^rd quarter.

Result: With 118 rushing yards, Tebow helps the Broncos rally to beat the Raiders, 38-24.

Situation: The Broncos, with only three points scored by the offense all night, trailed the New York Jets by three points in the final six minutes, with possession of the ball at their own five yard line.

Result: Tebow leads the Broncos down the field, finishing a 95 yard drive with a game winning 20 yard touchdown run in the final minute.

Situation: The Broncos trail the San Diego Chargers by three points in the final two minutes.

Result: Tebow leads the Broncos to a game tying field goal, leading to a 16-13 win in overtime.

Situation:  The Broncos, on the road trailed the Minnesota Vikings, 29-21 in the 4^th quarter.

Result: Tebow helped lead a touchdown drive, with a two point conversion by Tebow, to tie the score. The Broncos would fall behind, again, by three points with just over three minutes remaining. Tebow would get the Broncos in position to kick two field goals in the final 93 seconds, including a game winning kick as time expired to win 35-32.

Situation: The Broncos trailed the Chicago Bears, 10-0, not having scored a single point all day, with under three minutes remaining in the 4^th quarter.

Result: Tebow led the Broncos to a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining. Then, The Bow made the plays to put Matt Prater in position to attempt and make a 59 yard blast of a field goal as the 4^th quarter expired. Prater would also kick the game winner in overtime.

Matt Prater nails a 50+ yard kick at the end of the game with the Bears. 1

HOCUS POCUS?

Once can be a coincidence. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a trend. Tebow has led his team from second half deficits for victory six times in the past seven weeks.

There is no such thing as magic in the sense of waving a magic wand and waiting for the results. But in sports, as in life, “luck” is where preparation meets opportunity. The Broncos have a great defense. They held the Bears to 10 points in the entire game. The Bears made two key errors: Marion Barber running out of bounds in the final two minutes, stopping the clock in spite of having the lead; the other error was Barber’s lost fumble in overtime.

The biggest difference with Tebow, however, is that he is improving with every week. Tebow completed more than 10 passes for the first time all season on Sunday. His coaches are growing more comfortable with Tebow who, in turn, is throwing more passes and taking further control of a football game.

Far from hocus pocus.... 3

NO RABBIT OUT OF A HAT, BUT….

Tebow’s late game heroics may be labeled “miracles” or “magic”. But a more rational explanation is that the Broncos are a team that is increasingly gaining confidence in Tebow who, in turn, is gaining confidence in himself. As Tebow’s game improves, expect him to be placed in fewer positions in which he has to rally his team late. There is little doubt though that in any game in which the Broncos trail late, something special could be about to happen.    

And THIS is no rabbit and he certainly did not pull her out of a hat! 3

1) Image from www.twincities.com

2) Image frm http://chrisross91.wordpress.com

3) Image from www.totalprosports.com

You Can’t Spell “Choke” Without “OKC”

Part of the excitement of sports is unpredictability. You never know, while watching a sporting event, when something extraordinary is going to happen. You never know when something rare or unprecedented is going to unfold before your eyes.

When the Phil Jackson coached Lakers won their first NBA Championship in 2000, they reached the finals by winning a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trailblazers. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers trailed by 13 points, eventually falling behind by 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Those of you old enough to vote and not new to following the NBA know the rest. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant put on a clinic in the final 10 minutes of the game, took the lead, won by five points, and went on to win the NBA Finals. The comeback was the greatest ever in seventh game of a playoff series in the history of the NBA.

From that point forward, the 15 point margin has been my personal benchmark, in the fourth quarter of an NBA game, of when I think a game is, in all likelihood, over. An offense, playing well, seldom scores much more than 25 points in a quarter and even if the offense plays well, the defense, to overcome a large lead, needs to all but completely shut the opposing offense down. In addition, there is usually a reason one team falls behind by a large margin: they are being outplayed to begin with.

I think this is the most visibly excited I ever saw Shaq in his career. 1

NEVER SAY "NEVER"

Certainly a team, on the road, in front of a raucous crowd, knowing it gets to go back home with the series tied, and trailing by 15 points in the final five minutes should put all of its starters on the bench to prevent injury and have the equipment guys start packing up for the trip to the airport. Right? That’s why they PLAY the GAMES!

Unless you are a personal friend of mine, reading this just to see what I come up with next and have no interest in the NBA playoffs whatsoever, I need not tell you the result, except as a refresher on some of the details. Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, the team trailing by 15 points, began making the most improbable and difficult of shots. James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team leading in the final five minutes, fouled out and the offense, moving forward, ground to a screeching halt. The Thunder led 99-84; they would only score 6 points in the final five minutes and overtime. The Mavericks were able to close the gap, tie the score, and run away with the game in overtime, winning 112-105.

These types of games separate champions from contenders. These games distinguish veterans, like 32 year old Nowitzki and 38 year old Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd, from aspiring young stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder. These are the kinds of games that indicate that one team understands, through past experience, what is necessary to advance in the playoffs and contend for a championship. These are also the kinds of games that deliver a sobering blow to a team, realizing that it is not ready to reach the next level of competition.

Again? REALLY? 2

TALE OF TWO CITIES

Last night, Dallas was “Clutch City”. Oklahoma City was “Choke City”. And you cannot spell “choke” without the letters “OKC”.

Still, this series has offered many of the elements that compel us to watch sports. The silver lining for the Thunder is that the growing pains this team is experiencing draw a vivid comparison to those of the Detroit Pistons, who would eventually win 2 NBA Championships, working to surpass the Larry Bird led Boston Celtics, in the late 1980s. The Chicago Bulls, with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, climbed a similar mountain to surpass the Pistons and win six championships in eight seasons. The Mavericks look like a team, with two future Hall of Famers in Kidd and Nowitzki, whose chance for glory may have come and whose stars may have finally aligned to win a championship.

Your day will come, young man. 3

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1) Image from thestar.com
2) Image from commercialappeal.com
3) Image from theglobeandmail.com